‘Never mind that,’ said Ursula. ‘You haven’t told us yet what you are growing this year, Thea. You have been quite cagey about it.’ She had been quite cagey about it, as she didn’t want Ursula or her father knowing how much George limited her, but at least she could now tell them about Frankie.
‘Well,’ she said, sharing a quick glance with Martha. ‘I told you that I had a new gardener?’
‘You did,’ said Mr Morell. ‘She will be giving our Scip a run for his money!’
‘I should like them to meet,’ said Thea, ‘and share some tips.’
‘Even Scip is flummoxed about theProtea,’ said Ursula. ‘Imagine if your gardener manages to germinate it first.’
‘He would be delighted,’ said Mr Morell, ‘you know how he is, just wants to learn. In fact, I hope she does manage it first. I have no desire to be on that advisory board and have to travel all the way to London with regularity. Can you imagine having to make that journey six times a year?’
Thea smiled. Only her father would pass up better society in favour of his own study at his own house.
‘Frankie is trying all sorts of unorthodox methods,’ said Martha. ‘I can’t see them working.’
Thea shot her a look. She hoped the jealousy would dissipate, in time. ‘Anything is worth a try,’ she said, ‘when the seed is so obstinate.’
‘I am certain that if you, Martha and Frankie can’t do it, Thea, nobody can,’ said Ursula. ‘You must get a place on that advisory board. Imagine that after Martha’s paper at the Royal Society too. I am sure George would be so proud and then the men will have to sit up and take notice of women.’
Thea smiled at her sister. If only it were that simple.
Chapter 24
June 1765
Thea and George made a united face of it for the beginning of the party. The welcome, the delivery to their rooms and the afternoon tea. She had arrived back at Hawkdean the day before and hadn’t seen him. Then they had travelled in separate carriages. He had spoken to her only once since, to remind her that she was to ‘behave herself.’ She was pleased they had avoided more conflict, but nervous about what was to come. At least polite society dictated that he should be nice to her in public.
Thea was pleased when it was time for the tours of the estate and she could be soothed by the outdoors. It was a strange form of outdoors, though. Sort of what the outdoors might look like if it tried too hard. There were fields, lawns, trees and lakes, but all perfectly placed, as if afraid to make a nuisance of themselves.
‘Get off my lawn you woolly bastards,’ came a cry from up ahead. Thea was slightly in front of the main party who walked slowly, and wondered if the ‘woolly bastard’ was another type of plant she hadn’t heard of yet, but then saw the commotion. Knatchbull ran after three sheep, arms waving to shoo themback into a recently landscaped field. ‘Bloody errant band of sheep keeps nipping up the ha-ha,’ she heard him say to Speckle with whom she had had a pleasant chat over tea. ‘Wall’s not high enough. They shit everywhere and eat the topiary.’ Thea thought she would do the same if she were a sheep on Knatchbull’s estate. Gathering himself, he looked around to see if anyone had heard, so Thea, trying to be a good guest, pretended she hadn’t heard and gave him the most pleasant smile she could muster.
‘Your estate really is exceptional, Mr Knatchbull,’ she said, knowing George would want her to boost their host’s ego, whilst hating him with every fibre of her being. ‘You chose very well, and I expect the soil is good?’
‘Very,’ was all he said before turning back to Speckle. Kit was under no illusions that he was here to provide free advice on Neville’s plants and gave Thea a knowing smile. ‘Gentlemen,’ said Knatchbull, turning to the party who had now caught up. ‘I do hope you have enjoyed the parkland recently landscaped by Mr Capability Brown himself. If it pleases you, I would invite you to the glasshouses to view my most recent triumph.’ A trip to the Upper Plumbthorne glasshouses was one of the only things that Thea thought could make this trip remotely tolerable – but as the gentlemen moved away, shepherded by a beaming Knatchbull, it became clear that Thea was not invited. The ladies made to move back to the house. Again, she was alone in nature and took a second to breathe in a little fortifying fresh air as she watched the sheep graze.
Then all of a sudden, she wasn’t alone.
‘Look who has just arrived,’ came a bubbly voice from behind her. ‘Now we cannot fail to have fun now Harriet is here.’ Thea turned to find Cecily and Harriet approaching and couldn’t help but smile. She kissed their cheeks in turn.
‘I am desperately sorry I have not had chance to welcome you as warmly as I would wish so far,’ said Cecily, still grasping thematerial of Thea’s sleeves. ‘It is only that this is the first big event we have hosted at Upper Plumbthorne and is there not so much to do?!’
‘There is,’ agreed Thea, shuddering to think of the parties they had hosted at Hawkdean. ‘And while the servants do most of the hard work it is surprising how many demands come through the lady of the house.’
‘Isn’t it,’ said Cecily, leaning in wide eyed. ‘I can’t believe the requirements some people have. Mrs Fairclough turned up her nose at her room and so I had to move her. The same with Mrs Mortimer.’ She looked at Thea, remembering they were sisters-in-law, but Thea waved her away.
‘Do not censor yourself on my account,’ she said, ‘her family have reminded me on many occasions of how unfit I was to be George’s wife.’
Cecily’s eyes widened. ‘He could have found nobody better. And she has had my housemaid in tears already by complaining about the bedspread in the yellow room. How was I to know she had an aversion to monkeys?’
‘And yet Thea and I will be the perfect guests,’ said Harriet, winking at Thea. ‘Polite and the life of the party. Or at least, one each.’
Cecily giggled and walked between them, taking one of their arms on either side. ‘I am determined to have fun while you are here. Once we get everyone settled, I am sure we can leave the men to their shooting, and we shall be able to talk and play games and do just as we like. And Thea, I have arranged some after dinner entertainment for tonight with exactly you in mind. I am sure you are going to love it.’
This made a little anxiety fuzz inside Thea’s brain. Her hope was always to blend into the background, not to be the focus of the entertainment. ‘That sounds excellent,’ she said instead. ‘What have we to look forward to?’
‘I have engaged a scientist!’ said Cecily, almost squealing with delight. ‘One of those locum ones. They go around and give displays to people in their houses. The ladies improvement society will have nothing left to do but admit your science is fascinating and you will be the most popular one there.’
‘Oh,’ said Thea, thinking the display didn’t sound too bad, but that Cecily was far too generous to the ladies of society once again. ‘And do you know what he will demonstrate?’
